Black Brant IX PolarNOx launch on Jan. 27, 2017. (NASA/Jamie Adkins)A Black Brant IX sounding rocket was launched 175 miles high early Friday morning, Jan. 27, 2017, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Poker Flat Research Range to study levels of nitric oxide in the atmosphere as part of the Polar Night Nitric Oxide Experiment (PolarNOx).“The aurora creates nitric oxide, but in the polar night there is no significant process for destroying the nitric oxide,” said Scott Bailey, the principal investigator for PolarNOx from Virginia Tech. “We believe it builds up to large concentrations. The purpose of our rocket is to measure the abundance and altitude of peak abundance for the nitric oxide.”“Nitric oxide under appropriate conditions can be transported to the stratosphere where it will catalytically destroy ozone,” Bailey said. Those changes in ozone can lead to changes in stratospheric temperature and wind, and may even impact the circulation at Earth’s surface.Read the full story here: NASA Sounding Rocket Successfully Launches into Alaskan Night Tagged: Alaska, aurora, NASA, nitric oxide, ozone, PolarNOx, rocket, science, Virginia Tech